We started our day exploring the ice gardens of La Conte Bay, cruising in and out of the blue icebergs and smaller bergy bits by Zodiac. Some of the bergs had been left stranded on the sand bar at low tide, and here and there we saw bald eagles perched atop the ice. After our morning adventures we made our way into the small town of Petersburg, a fishing community with Norwegian heritage. Guests explored the docks, the area’s unique muskeg ecosystem, and worked on their photography before spending the afternoon watching the incredible 4th of July celebrations happening around town. Activities included a herring toss, a blindfold rowboat race, and a fire engine hose-powered bicycle race! The day ended with an incredible sighting of orcas at sunset. A very happy 4th of July here in Southeast Alaska!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 04 Jul 2019
Le Conte Bay, Petersburg, 7/4/2019, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Gemina Garland-Lewis, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Gemina Garland-Lewis is a professional documentary photographer based in Baja California Sur, Mexico, with experience in over 30 countries across seven continents. Her photography explores the myriad connections between humans, animals, and their sha...
Read MoreShare Report
Alaska's Inside Passage
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
9/6/2024
Read
National Geographic Quest
Glacier Bay National Park
We awoke to a wall of ice towering outside of the ship. Sometime in the night we anchored alongside the monumental Johns Hopkins Glacier. Along the base of the glacier, hundreds of harbor seals lounged on the rafts of ice, and stunning mountain views accompanied the impressive natural feature for which the park was named. After eating breakfast with a glacial blue backdrop, we pulled anchor and began our exploration of the park in earnest. We visited several more glaciers, including prime examples of tidewater, hanging, and beached varieties; we also observed large numbers of sea otters and surf scoters. After lunch we turned our focus to wildlife and were rewarded with views of mountain goats on Gloomy Knob, as well as a brown bear excavating a comfortable resting spot on the beach. Later we were treated to a surprise concert by one of our guests (award winning musician Jim Peterick). We wrapped up the day with a visit to South Marble Island where dozens of tufted puffins and large rafts of Steller sea lions gave excellent views.
9/5/2024
Read
National Geographic Quest
Inian Islands and Salt Chuck Bay
Today we began our adventures by dropping anchor at one of our favorite locations in Southeast Alaska, the Inian Islands! We disembarked National Geographic Quest to hop into our Zodiacs to explore this wild archipelago. Later in the day we repositioned to an anchorage in Port Althorp, known as Salt Chuck Bay. We got the chance to explore by kayaking as well as hiking through the meadow in the bay and the lush rainforest. It was a fantastic day in Southeast Alaska!